Mandela Day: Saying ‘no’ to illegal dumping

Local environment enthusiasts dreamed of a cleaner community, even if it meant cleaning it street by street. Soulbent Project founder Mashudu Makhado said cleaning was important because charity began at home.

“That’s why we have decided to clean our own community,” he said.

Makhado said the Soulbent Project focused on cleaning illegal dumping sites, streams, rivers, wetlands and streets.

He founded the Soulbent Project in 2007 to help decrease illegal dumping activities in Pretoria West, while developing an agricultural project on-site.

Makhado said his Mandela Day wish was for President Cyril Ramaphosa to come and clean up with the community.

Yesterday, 90 volunteers and community members collected 676 bags of litter in ward 68 in the Saulsville informal settlement. “We are not just cleaning today but planting trees, too,” Makhado added.

This month, Soulbent partnered with the Gauteng department of agriculture, land reform and rural development and the City of Tshwane, as well as the departments of water and sanitation and environment, forestry and fisheries to kick off the cleanup Saulsville campaign.

About 70 Soulbent Project volunteers started the clean-up campaign at the local illegal dumping site. They collected 300 bags of waste and litter and planted 10 trees on the first day.

Makhado said the Soulbent Project volunteers were currently cleaning up in Atteridgeville from Monday to Friday. Other services included landscape gardening services and maintaining vegetable gardens.

“We are looking forward to cleaning the environment and saying no to illegal dumping,” Makhado said.

“As part of our ongoing awareness, we have appointed a team that monitors agricultural projects daily.”

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The project has joined forces to provide food parcels to the community of Saulsville.

Makhado said they were recognised globally as a member of the Global Network Organisation and added the project had received acknowledged certification from Plastics SA. He encouraged the community to join in and help fight against illegal dumping.

“We will continue to clean the streets of Saulsville day by day,” he said.

Makhado said the organisation was looking at raising funds to represent South Africa at an expo in Birmingham, UK, in September.

“I would like to learn more about waste and litter and environmental management on an international scale,” he said.